Número 26,
julio, 2025: 77–83
ISSN versión impresa: 2071–9841 ISSN versión en línea: 2079–0139 https://doi.org/10.33800/nc.vi26.381
Nota científica
FIRST REPORT OF ACALITUS SIMPLEX (ACARI: ERIOPHYIDAE) IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Primer reporte de Acalitus simplex (Acari: Eriophyidae) en República Dominicana
Cristina A. Gómez-Moya1*,2,3, Marcello De Giosa4a Gilberto José de Moraes5, Jesús Alberto
Acuña Soto6, Marisol Morel3a, Alexandra M. Revynthi4b and Daniel Carrillo4c
1Universidad Tecnológica del Cibao Oriental, UTECO. Ave. Universitaria 100. Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez,43000, Dominican Republic.
2Universidad Católica del Cibao, UCATECI. Ave. Universitaria, La Vega, 41000, Dominican Republic.
3Instituto Dominicano de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales, IDIAF. Estación Experimental Mata Larga,
SFM,
Duarte 31000, Dominican Republic. amarisolmorel25@hotmail.com, 
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6946-3009.
4Tropical Research and Education Center, Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and
Agricultural
Sciences, University of Florida, Homestead, Florida, 33031, USA. am.degiosa@ufl.edu, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7457-001X; barevynthi@ufl.edu, 
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3284-3104;
cdancar@ufl.edu;
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2291-1844.
5Depto. Entomologia e
Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de
São Paulo (ESALQ-USP), Piracicaba-SP, Brazil. moraesg@usp.br, 
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5587-1781.
6División de Ingeniería en Innovación
Agrícola Sustentable, TecNM-Tlatlauquitepec, Tlatlauquitepec, Puebla, 73900,
México. coleoptero77@hotmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0856-4615.
*Corresponding author: crigomezmoya@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6456-6500.
[Received: May 5, 2025; Accepted: July 5, 2025]
ABSTRACT
This study confirmed the presence and distribution of the eriophyoid mite Acalitus simplex Flechtmann & Etienne (Acari: Eriophyidae), known as the ruellia erinose mite, in multiple locations across the Cibao region of the Dominican Republic. Acalitus simplex is an oligophagous mite feeding exclusively on Ruellia species, particularly the widely cultivated ornamental Ruellia simplex, which is valued for its diverse and colorful blooms. Leaves exhibiting characteristic erinea symptoms were collected from 11 outdoor sites including parks, university campuses, and streets throughout the region. Morphological examination of mites extracted from all samples confirmed A. simplex presence across all surveyed locations, representing the first documented record of this species on Hispaniola. This detection extends the mite’s known distribution in the Caribbean, previously reported only from Anguilla, Brazil, Cuba, Florida, Guadeloupe, Hawaii and Thailand. This report enhances understanding of the distribution and potential impact of A. simplex in the Caribbean Basin and highlights the need for further surveys and molecular studies to clarify its invasion history and develop effective management.
Keywords: Ruellia, mite, ornamental plants, Hispaniola, Caribbean
RESUMEN
Este estudio confirmó la presencia y distribución del ácaro eriofíido Acalitus simplex Flechtmann & Etienne (Acari: Eriophyidae), conocido como el ácaro de la erinea de Ruellia, en múltiples localidades de la región del Cibao, República Dominicana. Acalitus simplex es un ácaro oligófago que se alimenta exclusivamente de especies del género Ruellia, particularmente de Ruellia simplex, una planta ornamental ampliamente cultivada y valorada por su diversidad y colorido de flores. Se recolectaron hojas con síntomas característicos de erinea en 11 sitios al aire libre, incluyendo parques, campus universitarios y calles a lo largo de la región. El examen morfológico de los ácaros extraídos de todas las muestras confirmó la presencia de A. simplex en todas las localidades estudiadas, representando el primer registro documentado de esta especie en la Hispaniola. Esta detección amplía la distribución conocida del ácaro en el Caribe, previamente reportado solo en Anguila, Brasil, Cuba, Florida, Guadalupe, Hawai y Tailandia. Este reporte contribuye a mejorar el conocimiento sobre la distribución y el posible impacto de A. simplex en la cuenca del Caribe, y resalta la necesidad de realizar estudios adicionales y análisis moleculares para esclarecer su historia de invasión y desarrollar estrategias efectivas de manejo.
Palabras clave: Ruellia, ácaro, plantas ornamentales, Hispaniola, Caribe
Acalitus simplex Flechtmann & Etienne, 2002 (Acari: Eriophyidae), known as the ruellia erinose mite (Fig. 1), is an oligophagous eriophyoid mite that feeds exclusively on plant species of the genus Ruellia (Acanthaceae) (De Giosa et al., 2025; De la Torre Santana, 2024; Flechtmann & Etienne, 2002; Konvipasruang et al., 2016; Navia et al., 2021). This mite was first observed and described on Ruellia tuberosa (Linnaeus) in Guadeloupe (Flechtmann & Etienne, 2002), and has since been reported on Ruellia simplex (Wright), in Anguilla, Brazil, Cuba, Florida, Hawaii and Thailand (De Giosa et al., 2025; De la Torre Santana, 2024; Konvipasruang et al., 2016; Navia et al., 2021). Ruellia simplex, commonly known as Mexican petunia, Mexican bluebell, or Britton’s wild petunia, is an ornamental plant widely used in landscapes (Hammer, 2002). For blooming and having flowers of diverse colors, this ornamental plant is highly appreciated by consumers (Wilson et al., 2020), generating approximately $12 million dollars in the ornamental industry in 2004 (Wirth et al., 2004).
Acalitus simplex infestations reduce the plant’s aesthetic appeal by causing the formation of open galls, known as erinea (Karioti et al., 2011). The erinea are hairy patches (Fig. 2), that develop on stems, leaves, petioles, and buds of R. simplex (De la Torre Santana, 2024; Navia et al., 2021). Young and soft tissues are often completely covered by erinea, including both upper and lower leaf surfaces, as well as stems and buds (Fig. 3). In contrast, scattered erinea are typically observed on mature, fully differentiated leaves. These affected plant tissues can simultaneously exhibit erinea in varying colors, ranging from white, to dark beige (Navia et al., 2021).
Ruellia simplex leaves with erinea were collected in 99% ethanol from various locations in the Dominican Republic (Table I). Were extracted from all collected samples, slide-mounted in Hoyer’s medium (Walter & Krantz, 2009), and examined under a Motic BA310E microscope. All samples from the listed locations contained individuals of A. simplex, as confirmed by morphological comparison with the original species description. Mounted specimens were deposited at the Ornamental Entomology and Acarology Laboratory, Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), University of Florida, Homestead, Florida, 33031, USA; the Instituto de Investigaciones Botánicas y Zoológicas “Prof. Rafael M. Moscoso”, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, and the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural “Prof. Eugenio de Jesús Marcano” (MNHNSD), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Figure 1. Acalitus simplex. Dorsal view (A); ventral view (B). Photo: Marcello De Giosa and Alexandra M. Revynthi, TREC, University of Florida.
Figure 2. Acalitus simplex (A) and erinea (B). Photo: Marcello De Giosa and Alexandra M. Revynthi, TREC, University of Florida.
Acalitus simplex is a new record for the island of Hispaniola (Perez-Gelabert, 2020). This first record is important for tracking the spread of A. simplex in the Americas. The mite was reported a year ago in neighboring Cuba (De la Torre Santana, 2024), and its recent detection in Anguilla, Cuba, Brazil, Florida, Hawaii and the Dominican Republic suggests a continuing spread in the region. Therefore, we suspect its presence in the nearby Cayman Islands, Haiti, and Jamaica, where the host R. simplex is also cultivated (Acevedo-Rodriguez & Strong, 2012). As R. simplex is commercialized and widely used as an ornamental plant, the accidental human-mediated transport of infested material may play a significant role in the regional dispersal of A. simplex (Navia et al., 2010). However, since several R. simplex is native to the Caribbean, it is also possible that A. simplex has long been present in the region but remained undetected due to limited scouting efforts and the lack of taxonomic attention specifically directed toward this mite. The growing popularity and commercial distribution of R. simplex may have simply increased the visibility of mite-associated symptoms, prompting recent detections. Further historical surveys and molecular studies would be necessary to clarify whether the species represents a recent introduction or a long-overlooked native associate. Additional surveys in the Dominican Republic are needed to explore potential naturally occurring associated predatory mites, none of which were found so far, as well as possible associations with other unreported Ruellia species present on the island. Currently, integrated mite management strategies are unavailable for controlling this ornamental pest in landscapes.
Figura 3. Open galls or erinea caused by Acalitus simplex in Ruellia simplex. Photos: C. Gómez Moya in Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province, 02/2025 (left) and Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal province, 03/2025 (right).
Table I. Sampling locations in the Dominican Republic.
Locations
|
University Avenue, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago Province, Dominican Republic
|
19° 3’ 36.57” N, 70° 9’ 32.23” W
|
Cristina A. Gómez Moya |
|
|
“El Vivero” Experimental Station, Quita Sueño, Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez Province |
19° 3’ 3.80” N, 70° 11’ 49.83” W |
|
October 2022 |
Instituto Superior
|
de Agricultura La Herradura, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago Province |
19° 27’ 2.86” N, 70° 44’ 50.58” W |
Gilberto de Moraes and Cristina A. Gómez Moya |
|
|
Águeda Suárez Street, Altos de Alameda, Santo Domingo Oeste, Santo Domingo Province |
18° 29’ 58.67” N, 70° 0’ 13.17” W |
Cristina A. Gómez Moya |
June 2023 |
Paul Harris Street, El
19° 3’ 48.57” N, 70°
Hato, Cotuí, Sánchez Cristina A. Gómez Moya
8’ 50.74” W
Ramírez Province
|
“Ecoparque de La Paz”, Ojo de Agua, Tenares, Hermanas Mirabal Province |
19° 23’ 30.82” N, 70° 23’ 10.68” W |
Cristina A. Gómez Moya, Jesús Acuña and Daniel Carrillo |
February 2025 |
|
Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal Province |
19° 22’ 31.19” N, 70° 24’ 36.90” W |
Cristina A. Gómez Moya, Salvador Cuello Díaz, Oliver José Silverio Rodríguez and Bryant Beltrán Vásquez |
March 2025 |
Cristina A. Gómez Moya,
|
Monte Grande, Loma de Cabrera, Dajabón Province
|
19° 27’ 5.70” N, 71° 37’ 37.59” W
|
Marisol Morel Reyes and Ederly José Frías González
|
|
|
Gral. Juan Rodríguez Street, Concepción de La Vega, La Vega Province |
19° 13’ 30.36” N, 70° 31’ 44.09” W |
Cristina A. Gómez Moya |
April 2025 |
19° 5’ 41.63” N, 70°
Villa La Mata, Sánchez
9’ 44.20” W
Ramírez Province,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (CONIAF)/Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)/Ministerio de Agricultura (MA), for funding the project “Diversidad de eriófidos (Acari: Eriophyoidea) asociados a cultivos de interés comercial en
República Dominicana, así como su bioecología y daños” to first author and the Universidad Católica del Cibao (UCATECI). To UTECO Plant Protection Laboratory for facilitating the processing of plant samples. Our gratitude also extends to Socorro García Pantaleón, and as well as to UTECO students Salvador Cuello Díaz, Oliver José Silverio Rodríguez, Bryant Beltrán Vásquez and Ederly José Frías González for their help.
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Citation: Gómez-Moya, C. A., De Giosa, M., de Moraes, G. J., Acuña Soto, J. A., Morel, M., Revynthi, A. M., & Carrillo, D. (2025). First report of Acalitus simplex (Acari: Eriophyidae) in the Dominican
Republic. Novitates Caribaea, (26), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.33800/nc.vi26.381